PROMINENT Zimbabwean playwright, director, theatre educator and novelist Styx Mhlanga has breathed life into a new isiNdebele novel titled Esizibeni Sengwenya — translated as a crocodile’s pool — which explores the unseen emotional scars of the liberation war.
Mhlanga’s 190-page manuscript goes beyond the gunfire, ambushes and victory songs of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, delving deep into human stories of love, sacrifice, ritual and loss.
Drawing from years of research and storytelling, the book follows a liberation war comrade whose triumphant home return turns tragic when he discovers that the family he fought to protect has moved on without him — revealing that for many fighters, the war did not end at independence.
“Compared to most nations, we are people surrounded by many war sites and battlefields. In our area, there isKatati, Lahlamkhonto and Pupu, and in every war, there are stories — horror, love stories, you name it. The same applies to the liberation war,” said Mhlanga, speaking on the sidelines of his book launch recently.
He further explained that many of the hidden stories carry a deeper meaning for freedom fighters.
“There are a lot of stories that comrades came back with from the war, so I wanted to write about a comrade who fought in the liberation struggle and was happy to return home, driven by the spirit to survive and reunite with the child and wife he had left behind. Only to find, upon his return, that his wife had married someone else — a very rich man,” he said.
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The book’s cover features an image of five guerrilla war fighters crossing the Zambezi River at night in a boat, reflecting the perilous journeys fighters undertook as this was often the only safe way to travel.
“There is a ritual that this comrade performed as a commander at Ntelezi to ensure his safety during the war.
“The only person who could rescue him from the consequences of that ritual was his wife.
“However, she was already married to someone else and that became the central plot of the story that inspired me to write it.”
Beyond storytelling, Mhlanga said the book was also driven by a desire to preserve the isiNdebele language for future generations.
“The isiNdebele language is very rich; it is poetic and full of similes and proverbs,” he said.
“It is a beautiful language and I want every Ndebele reader to enjoy its richness through this book.
“Language carries the memory and culture of an ethnic group. My wish is for the next generation to enjoy the language as they read the book — whether they are in the diaspora, in rural areas, reading or listening to the audio version.”
Reflecting on the liberation struggle, Mhlanga emphasised the importance of honouring those who participated in it.
“The liberation war was fought a long time ago and my wish is that the next generation respects the fighters because of the many risks they took.
“I started writing this book in 2017 during my free time.
“Writing this story was not an event, but a journey and that is why it took time to complete.”
The novel marks the sixth book published under Mhlanga’s name.